Helium the Perfect Diver's Gas

[DCBC]

Helium is superior to Nitrogen as a diver's gas in many ways. The size of the bubbles formed in Helium are smaller, it diffuses into and out of tissue faster, is less narcotic and leaves the diver feeling better after the dive, than other gases. The Helium minimum bends depth (MBD) is greater than those of Nitrogen, allowing for longer no-decompression times at depth.

Helium has been the mainstay of commercial diving for years, but its emergence into the technical field is more recent. No doubt cost is a factor, but is part of this a misconception about the gas itself?

I can't help but wonder why more of a push is not made for Heliox opposed to Nitrox (including air). It offers huge benefits in open-circuit and CCR diving at all depths. Why do you suppose that this hasn't been promoted by the diving industry more? Do you think this will be done in years to come or is the cost prohibitive?

 

[Cave Diver]

Helium is superior to Nitrogen as a diver's gas in many ways. The size of the bubbles formed in Helium are smaller, it diffuses into and out of tissue faster, is less narcotic and leaves the diver feeling better after the dive, than other gases. The Helium minimum bends depth (MBD) is greater than those of Nitrogen, allowing for longer no-decompression times at depth.

Helium has been the mainstay of commercial diving for years, but its emergence into the technical field is more recent. No doubt cost is a factor, but is part of this a misconception about the gas itself?

I can't help but wonder why more of a push is not made for Heliox opposed to Nitrox (including air). It offers huge benefits in open-circuit and CCR diving at all depths. Why do you suppose that this hasn't been promoted by the diving industry more? Do you think this will be done in years to come or is the cost prohibitive?

1) It's expensive

2) The speed at which helium moves in and out of tissue means that a diver really needs to be more precise in their ascent rates. Nitrox is much more forgiving. Many of the divers that currently use Nitrox could find themselves bent diving the same way on helium.

 

[Blackwood]

2) The speed at which helium moves in and out of tissue means that a diver really needs to be more precise in their ascent rates. Nitrox is much more forgiving. Many of the divers that currently use Nitrox could find themselves bent diving the same way on helium.

maybe.


Really I think cost is the issue. Getting people to shell out 50 cents or a dollar (or more) a CF compared to a full fill for a few bucks is difficult at best.

 

[DCBC]

The speed at which helium moves in and out of tissue means that a diver really needs to be more precise in their ascent rates. Nitrox is much more forgiving. Many of the divers that currently use Nitrox could find themselves bent diving the same way on helium.

That's true CD, do you see this as a problem?

 

[Michael_Lambert]

Agreed,

Cost - Its much harder to sell a customer on the cost of Helium cost for a course than it is to sell them on nitrox cost for a course, let lone the cost of actually diving it.

Safety - As CD said, Your looking at higher risk with the diving, Pop up due to bad boyancy with nitrox compared to Helium could be a life or death difference.

 

[Michael_Lambert]

That's true CD, do you see this as a problem?

Not for some one who has hundreds of dives under their belts is able to do a controlled accent / decent and stop every single time.

 

[DCBC]

Safety - As CD said, Your looking at higher risk with the diving, Pop up due to bad boyancy with nitrox compared to Helium could be a life or death difference.

Thanks Michael, but this begs the questions:

1) If this is the case, should you be teaching them Nitrox?

2) Why were they certified in the first-place?

 

[M_Bipartitus]

I feel this will come down to an economics issue, and recreational divers will not increase their helium use.

The primary users of helium (semiconductor and fiber optic fabrication, welding) have a lot more money than recreational divers and there is a global shortage. Most likely, prices will stay high or get higher. There is some hope, however. Since most helium comes from natural gas mining there is the possibility of greater capacity as more demand for natural gas prompts more drilling. From this week's issue of Science:

"...Meanwhile, reserves of helium-4 may be exhausted within decades, an even bigger problem that the National Academy of Sciences will weigh in on soon."

While I'm not sure if helium supply is as poor as that statement implies, it isn't going to get any cheaper.

As an aside, a 2000 publication by the National Academy of Sciences claims that only 3% of helium goes to breathing gas (The Impact of Selling the Federal Helium Reserve). My understanding is that the quote above refers to an update to this publication.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

That's true CD, do you see this as a problem?

Given that this is asked in the Technical Diving forum ... no.

Anyone diving at the tech level should have solid buoyancy control skills, and a fundamental understanding of why slow ascents are important.

I would, however, recommend that someone who's a newer or an occasional vacation diver consider the drawbacks of using helium until they've gained enough practical experience to solidify their basic skills ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Cave Diver]

That's true CD, do you see this as a problem?

Not for someone diving at an advanced level no. But there are many purely recreational divers that use nitrox to extend their bottom times. If you're proposing phasing out the use of nitrox in favor of helium mix instead, I think there is a wide number of users that may fall into this category.